Clintonville Lodge History

2010 Three 70 year members were honored, at Clintonville 197
Doc Thomas, P. G. M. Robert Billings, Leonard Scruton
W.M. Rusty Mitchell, Treasure Danford Jesse in back

Fall Frenzy Clintonville Masons with P.M. Danford Jesse

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History of Clintonville Lodge 197

Chartered In 1871 a petition for the organization of a Clintonville Lodge
was referred to Shawano Lodge 170 for recommendation and was favorable considered.

June 9, 1874, the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of
Wisconsin, held their annual Communication in Milwaukee Wisconsin, where it was voted to grant a charter for what was to be

known as Clintonville Lodge 197 F &A M with the

three principal officers being installed were

Brother G. S. Doty, Worshipful Master,

Brother O. M. Doty Senior Warden

Brother C. M. Fischer, Junior Warden

Brother M.C. Sawall Senior Deacon

Brother Ira Brown Treasurer and Tyler

On June 28, 1874, W. D. Sexton, W. W. Stacey and U. P. Clinton
were the first three candidates to petition Clintonville Lodge for membership.
U. P. Clinton, the founder of the City of Clintonville served as the Worshipful
Master of the Lodge in 1888. In the Lodges first 100 years of existence it had
73 Worshipful Masters. One of our Masters, Dr. E. A. Miller who served as
Master in the year 1904 and ’05 was listed as the 36th oldest living Master
Mason in the nation. Brother Miller was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master
Mason on September 20th, 1892 and passed from our midst on January 6th, 1968 at
the age of 97.

The Lodge grew with the community, meetings were held in the upper
floors of business establishments converted for that purpose. A new Lodge
Building was built in 1921 at a cost of $40,000; much of the labor, material
and the land were donations and gifts. The indebtedness was paid off in 23
years and the bonds burned in 1944.

When the Clintonville Community Hospital was built, several Brethren
collected a total of more than $1400.00 and outfitted room 308.

Because of crowded conditions, the Clintonville Public School used
the basement and first floor of the temple for eight years, as did the Red
Cross Chapter and the Waupaca County Association for retarded people used two
rooms each in the basement, and the Senior Citizens of Clintonville met in the
dining room two afternoons each month. The Clintonville Masons were happy to
have the room for such organizations as long as it did not conflict with
Masonic Functions.

The following submitted by Past Master Owen Nielson

To the best of my recollection and from the minutes and records of
Clintonville Lodge that I have read, or been aware of, I find that other than
Masonic Charity to Brethren in need, Clintonville Lodge 197 F &A M and
Masonic bodies who met in the Masonic Temple, have contributed much to the
benefit of the City of Clintonville and its citizens.

(1) The School System used the building for at least 50 years for
classrooms and office space at no rental charge except utilities.

(2) Five Hundred Dollar ($500.00) scholarships have been given to
graduates of Clintonville and Marion High Schools for over (30) years.

(3) Senior Citizens used the dining room and kitchen for many
years.

(4) Defibrillators were donated to Clintonville Fire and Rescue, Clintonville
High School, Marion High School and New London High School, total of eleven
have been donated.

(5) Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) was donated to Waupaca
County K-9 Patrol.

(6) Junior Baseball was supported with uniforms and cash for five
(5) years. A pizza party was sponsored for the kids and family at the end of
each season.

(7) The Lodge gave the Cemetery Association One Thousand Dollars
($1,000.00) towards the new entry sign in memory of Dr. E. A. Miller.

(8) The Lodge donated a granite monument and train bell to the
City in honor of all veterans to be used on Memorial Day.

(9) The Masonic burial plot was donated to the cemetery
Association to be used for destitute persons.

(10) Purchased bricks for the Veterans Memorial, a total of One
Thousand One Hundred Twenty Five Dollars ($1,125.00) honoring some Past
Masters.

(11) In the year 1999 the Order of the Eastern Star donated monies
to the Clintonville Public Library, Marion Public Library, Historical Society
of Clintonville and the Main Street Memorial, over Thirty Thousand Dollars
($30,000.00) in total.

Robert Billings M. W. P. G. Master of Masons in Wisconsin

Past Masters Clintonville Lodge F & A M

1873-G. S. Doty 1874-G. S. Doty 1875-O. M. Doty 1876-O. M. Doty 1877-O. M. Doty 1878-Caleb Fischer 1879-O. M. Doty 1880-O. M. Doty 1881-W. H. Oviatt M.D. 1882-W. H. Oviatt M.D. 1883-W. H. Oviatt M.D. 1884-W. H. Oviatt M.D. 1885-Caleb Fischer 1886-G. W. Jones 1887-W. H. Cook 1888 -U. P. Clinton 1889-W. H. Oviatt M.D. 1890-F. M. Guernsey 1891-F. H. Plumb 1892-Caleb Fischer 1893-Caleb Fischer 1894-Frank Gause 1895-Frank Gause 1896-Frank Gause 1897-Frank Gause 1898-Frank Gause 1899-Frank Gause 1900-George Bennett 1901-Frank Gause 1902-Frank Gause 1903-Frank Gause 1904-E. A. Miller M.D. 1905-E. A. Miller M.D. 1906-Henry Anthes 1907-Henry Anthes 1908-James E. Long 1909-James E. Long 1910-Walter Olen 1911-Walter Olen 1912-Llewellyn Cole 1913-Llewellyn Cole 1914-Otto L. Olen 1915-Otto L. Olen 1916-Fred Ruth 1917-Fred Ruth 1918-A. B. Mayhew 1919-H. E. DuFrane 1920Chauncey Williams 1921-Guy H, Billings 1922Chauncey Williams 1923-Art Felshow

1924-W. A. Garfield 1925-Arthur Polzin 1926-R. E. Knister D.D.S. 1927-James Smiley 1928-F. C. Walch 1929-Gale T. Shedore 1930-F. Y. King 1931-Wm. A. Carley 1932-Herman V. Larson 1933-Henry Schellien 1934-Reuben Lendved 1935-Vern Chamberlin 1936-John D. MacDonald 1937-Clarence Quall 1938-Roy Martin 1939-Irving Auld M.D. 1940-Myron Rand 1941-George A. Seidel 1942-F. H. Uttermark 1943-Edmund E. Hart 1944-M. O. Stockland 1945-W. J. Bergacker 1946-Harland Jones 1947-Woodrow Williams 1948-Woodrow Smith 1949-Nathan Wiese 1950-Lowell Walker 1951-John Kafka 1952-Robert Billings 1953-LeRoy Hughes 1954-Ralph Lendved 1955-Robert Otto 1956-Roy Weber 1957-Kenneth Darling 1958-Al Hogan 1959-Donald Kuester 1960-Douglas Mayne 1961-James Rogers 1962-Robert Moreland 1963-Gerald McFarren 1964-John Polzin 1965-Lyle Henschel 1966-Francis Thompson 1967-Byron Beversdorf 1968-John P. Schafer 1969-Emory Rogers 1970-William Elliott 1971-Kenneth Glass 1972-Owen Nielson 1973-Owen Nielson 1974-Edward C. Mitchell

1975-Henry Sengstock 1976-Nathan Tribby 1977-Frank Morgan 1978-Henry C. Krueger 1979-Arthur Schweitzer 1980-Harold Huntley 1981-Gary Keller 1982-Gary Keller 1983-Roger Sage 1984-Owen R. Nielson 1985-William Rhodes 1986-John C. Miller 1987-Harold Huntley 1988-Gary Keller 1989-Gary Keller 1990-Reid Nelson 1991-Harold Huntley 1992-Reid Nelson 1993-Reid Nelson 1994-Harold Huntley 1995-Reid Nelson 1996-Ed Mitchell 1997-Danford Jesse 1998-Danford Jesse 1999-Danford Jesse 2000-Danford Jesse 2001-Danford Jesse 2002-Danford Jesse 2003-Danford Jesse 2004-Danford Jesse 2005-Danford Jesse 2006-Danford Jesse 2007-Danford Jesse 2008-Danford Jesse 2009-Danford Jesse 2010-Edward (Rusty) Mitchell 2011-Edward (Rusty) Mitchell 2012-Edward (Rusty) Mitchell 2013-Joseph Urban 2014—Kevin Palmer 2015—Paul VanLaarhoven 2016—Paul VanLaarhoven 2017—Mark Zachow 2018—Greg Rose 2019—Greg Rose 2020- Paul VanLaarhoven 2021—

Appendant Bodies of the Clintonville Masons;

Clintonville Chapter #27 Order of the Eastern Star,

Chartered January 8, 1892

Clintonville Chapter #103 Royal Arch Masons,

Chartered February 16, 1921

Clintonville Commandery #44 Knights Templar,

Chartered May 6, 1921

Clintonville Bethel #26 Jobs Daughters,

Chartered June 28, 1940

Inter-City Shrine Club, Chartered 1944

Inter-City Chapter Order of the DeMolay,

Chartered December 17, 1964

FIRST YEARS OF CLINTONVILLE LODGE;

During the first years the lodge met on Saturday nights and it appears that

the petitions came in so fast that there was a special communication

held on each of the other Saturday nights and many times they would

confer an E.A. degree on different candidates in the same evening.

On many occasions a candidates note was accepted for his initiation

dues bearing 10% interest, at that time the candidate was allotted on

between each degree.

At the July 12, 1873 meeting, a committee was appointed to see

to the making of an alter

and pedestals for the masters and the wardens stations,

this was done under the direction of Brother C. M. Fisher,

these are the same pedestals that are still being used.

Ten years later in 1884, the marble slabs on the tops of these pedestals

were purchased for $2.25 each.

Some of the expenditures which proved interesting to me were:

in 1875, the first carpet for the lodge room was purchased

for $20.70. In 1878 a

chandelier was purchased, the style was to be left up to the committee,

but was not to exceed the cost of $4.00. In 1878 they also

engaged the services of a janitor for $15.00 a year,

but as time went on and his pay was not increased,

in 1888, the janitor held out for .50 cents per meeting.

This would mean almost $26.00 per year for him, but in the next year,

1889 they hired another for the same pay of $15.00 per year.

On April 12, 1879, the W.M. was authorized to make an offer of $200.00

to G. S. Doty for his village lot on the north end of Shawano and New

London street, (This would be the space between the present P. O. and

Ron’s Auto supply) for the purpose of building a temple, to be paid for as

follows. The lodge would turn over to Brother Doty, all the money

in the lodge treasury at that time, all the dues accounts that he would agree

to accept and then only if the lodge would guarantee payment of same

he would agree within 12 months and a promissory note for the

balancewith 10% interest per annum.

On August 23, 1884 a committee composed of C. M. Fisher, W. H. Stacy, and

W. H. Cook was appointed to proceed with the erection of a two story

building, 22′ X 70′ on a lot purchased in 1879. Brother Stacy agreed

to furnish all good maple flooring material for the lower floor for

$20.00 and he agreed to wait one year for his money with 7% interest.

Some of the bills turned in during the building were: 111/2 days

work for $17.25, another for 5 days work for $7.50, but C. M. Fisher

acting as forman was paid more, he turned a bill in for 13 days at $33.75.

During the building of this structure, it was insured for $800.00.

In 1892, we agreed rent the lodge room to the”Star Ladies” for $50.00

per year and the Lodge would furnish all the fuel, light, furniture and

janitor service.

On March 16, 1893, the building was destroyed by fire. The claim was

turned in as the loss of the building of $800.00 and loss of the contents

of $160.00. The claim was settled for that amount and when all the bills

and mortgage were paid off, the treasurer showed a balance of $261.00

On May 12, 1894, they decided to rebuild on the same site a building

24′ X 80′ to be constructed of brick on the outside and an air space

between the inside and outside walls, considered to be more fire proof.

The building was going to cost $2,100.00.

Consecrating and Dedicating of the lodge was July 11, 1874 with

Brother O. F. Weed of New London Lodge #131 acting as

Deputy Grand Master.

The first public Installation was held December 27, 1874.

In 1921 the property on which this Temple was erected was purchased

from Dr. E. A. Miller. The architect was Herman Wildhagen of

Appleton Wisconsin, Ed Felshow was in charge of construction and

performed the functions of a contractor. The members donated

work and those that couldn’t work donated money.

The bonds were sold exclusively to members.

The Officers at that time were as follows;

Worshipful Master – Guy Billings

Senior Warden – Kenneth Baker

Junior Warden – Joe Leyer

Treasurer – D. J. Rohrer

Secretary – Ben Plopper

The trustees for the trust deed were;

Brother Fred Ruth, cashier at the first National bank of Clintonville,

Brother Dwight F. Breed, casher at the Clintonville State Bank.

The Trustees of the property were;

Brothers M. L. Munsert, Frank Gause, Fred Ruth

On October 11 1944 the Masons paid off the last of the bonds, one that

had been originally issued to Brother W. A. Olen but since had been

re-assigned to Brother R. A. Olen. On Saturday night, December 2, they

will burn every one of the $25,000.00 of bonds in an eventful and colorful

ceremony to be held in the Lodge’s beautiful and now clear-of-debt Temple.

The ceremony will be attended by Wm.. F. Weiler; Grand Secretary,

Mrs. Myron Black; Kaukauna, Assoc. Grand Matron of O. E. S.,

members of the local O. E. S., Job’s Daughters, and members of the

lodge and their families.

The bonds will be burned in a brass urn. W. A. Olen, D. J. Rohrer,

J. D. Cotton and Fred Ruth, by virtue of their being members of the

original finance committee, constitute the bond burning committee.

The actual lighting of the bonds will be done by the officers of the